New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-15
MORE LIGHT ON LAMAR.
~ HOLDS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
-" MENTS INVALID.
,,. VOTES on Mr.. RDMUNDss RESOLUTIONS in
rur SENATE IN 1879 RECALLED-wILL HE
,vv THE SAME As ASSOCIATE JUSTICEI

rurvx THE SAME As ASSOCIATE JCSrlCEf
,pY TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBUNEl
rs,xucToN Dec 14.-Mr LaDlar's defenders AHA
.,o,osls,s are having pretty hard time Since the
'r,s.ot,on Of the facts concerning his violent and
s..s,aceful behavior In the united
S,..as Court, at oxford, while
.rr,, was in progress at Which he was present
,ao,ator little has been said about his Judicial
1.,nrersmcnt, Tho truth is that his friends nave
. oh,iecd 70 plead I'm his behalf that no is very
a,,o,al and impmlsve in order to break the force
:, some Of his violent declarations in and out OF Con
GEES. A.. ,.o., 90 dohato , cold
-. who was trying TO apologize for Lamars declac
,,on that no man should call Jefferson Davis
-, IN his presence without hearing a stern denial.
90, that was in the heat of political campaign"
.,cd in another. when allusion was made to Lamars
~, - Aberdeen, Miss, In the political campaign
g. I'm which he declared that the Mississippi
-, ~ that year involved the supremacy of the
,ncopoucrcd and unconqucrahc saxon race"
40 iotolncent has forgotten tho era of blood
..aa and murder in Mississippi which began that
- we'll admit that excuse as one entitled to
',,oration There is another incident In Mr. La
49, later political career which 1t Will be interesting
" ocsu at this time while his nomination TO place
=, the supreme Bench is pending. In tho tntcd
S,o,es senate. January Z, 1879 Mr. EdmundS, who IS
COW chairman of the Judiciary Committee, rose and
said
Mr. President. this elad morning Oh tho Hc" W"
rhcn there fare peace and JOY and hope everywhere
think it the best possible time to offer resolutions
-,icb I hold in my hand. which l trust viii have
tendency IL they be unanimously adopted as hops
thcv will after they printed to cement more
,rcctly the goodwill and concord and unity OF Sehl
nent which are supposed 10 exist all over the country
With that preface senator Edmunds offered the
following:
resolved. As the judgment of the Senate that the
thirteenth fourteenth and Fifteenth hmenaen,s 40 in1
snd are valid and Of The same paramount, sgihory as
STAT have interest in the enforcement OF me
Thoe Constitution every stat Of the Union and thai
am nimcnts and protect every citizen in The exercise of
sn the rights thereby secured by laws Of The general
character already passed for that purpose and by f9rhg,
apnl1ura-e legislation Car ~n"h enforcement anu
SS sg Of ar III HH F>Sc1tye OF the Gcy@Tnnca'
faithfully and win diligence TO c1Try all such aws 'n s
Honcvs needful to that end
provide nv law full and impartial protection of an
crzens n the United States legally qualified in he
nd me COMMITTEES on the Judcrrv be- and IL hereby
Instructed rrcpire and report may he. hill
nfractons thereof.
At that time the "mpulsivc" and " emotional" VT
lamar was a member of the senate Tho resolutions
were not disposed OF until February 8. after FIJI de-
bate and opportunity TO amend them. Mr. Lamar
restrained his imrctuOsity and made speech on the
subject although hc present Gung the discussion
Tho resolutions voted on and adopted separately
on the first one, declaring that the Thirteenth foNi
tecnh and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution
are " as valid and Of the same paramount authority
any other part" of that instrument Mr. Lamar Nold
"No.- on the second resolution. nStructing ihr
Judiciary Committee To rrpor blu for the protection
Of citizens In their rights under SAID amchcMchls'
Mr.. Lamar voted " Mo-
MI Lamar's action was dcIfcra'c-iakcn when he
must have been controlled bv Tho Judicial Tcmpera-
mcnt7 which has deserted him on 80 many Diner IN
pOrtant occasions. If his vote On the first resolution
meant anything II that the last three amend
ment' to the Constitution are moi valid ana binding
I'm the that the remainder az that instrument U.s.
II the amendments are not valid I'm the opinion ~
Mr. Lamar what Of laws enacted under thefn ~
a member Of the supreme Court 40 fhr United S'a'"'
II might hc-inGccd II probably would his dniY
pass the validity OF some Of those laws. IN NE
light Of his vote the Edmunds resolutions WoAli
lie be able. fairly and imparially. 10 do sol
Mr. Garland voted with Mr.. Lamar on the EdmUudS
resolutions. and II nav be remembered that I'm his
opinion I'm The TawtOn case. Mr.. Garland a. Attorney
General virtually took tho ground that Section ,
Of tho Fourteenth Amendment was null and void ana
that LawtOn eligible to hold Federal Otig g.
despite the fact that his political disabilities had MOI
heen removed by Congress before his appontn
Would Associate Justice Lamar do any better?